Everyone experiences being hated by someone at some point in their lives - even those who are kind and gentle. The question becomes, “why?”
"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.” (Matthew 24:10)
Jesus not only predicted that a time would come when the masses would default to “hate,” but He also said something so interesting that modern believers find next to impossible to believe, minimally, accept!
"Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22)
“Blessed?” I don’t think so!
Hate and blessing seem to be enemies of one another. Hate, that fleshly demonically inspired tempest within us, often wears the cloak of a curse. How could such a dark tempest be considered a blessing by Christ? But what if, just for a moment, we dared to see it differently - as Jesus sees it? What if hate were a blessing in disguise, a paradox woven into the mission of Jesus Himself?
Imagine hate as a chisel, relentlessly sculpting our souls, like burning off the dross of our fleshly habits. It chips away at our self-justified illusions, revealing raw edges and hidden fractures left over from the Adamic nature. In its fiery forge, hate refines us, burning away impurities of our self-life until we gleam with a newfound clarity of our identity in Jesus Christ.
Perhaps hate is the dark twin of sinful passion, inseparable yet distinct. It stirs the embers of our Christ-as-Life convictions, igniting flames that propel us forward to front a dark world. Without hate, would we see the immovable truth that God is Love? Without the shadows of hate, would the Light of Christ dazzle so brilliantly? NO, it would not.
Consider hate as the brewing storm that ignites the End Times that is shaping the landscape of modern prophecies. It uproots complacency, tearing down flimsy structures humanity built—false certainties, fragile egos, false gods, global empires, brittle prejudices, and manipulative plans of an approaching Antichrist. Amid the wreckage, seeds of growth take root in an authentic believer, nourished by the fertile soil of adversity and hatred.
THE DARK CAVE OF UNFORGIVENESS
Satan bathes in hatred twenty-four hours a day. People of hate are trapped, caged in, within the dark cave of unforgiveness. He manipulates humanity, particularly believers, to stray from God is Love to keep the masses outside of the will of God. Now, here is the “kicker…”
Unsaved, non-indwelt people have no power to forgive others, certainly NOT themselves. To escape Satan’s trap, one must become indwelt by the Life of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Until that movment of freedom, the masses have no other alternative but to hate and opinionate what they hate.
And what about the benefits of indwelling forgiveness? Hate, paradoxically, births a choice to release authentic forgiveness or if unsaved, ignites a humanistic form of forgivenes, which is the act of refusing to be a victim. In the experience of hating or being hated, we taste bitterness, and in releasing Christ’s forgiveness, we discover lasting freedom and authentic love. Hate, like a bitter herb, prepares our hearts for the feast of the Grace of Jesus.
So, it is a sin to dismiss hate outright. Instead, Jesus wants us to hold it up to the Light of His Life, turning it this way and that, examining its facets to discover its purpose. Perhaps, just perhaps, in many cases, hate is the dark mirror that reflects our own fleshy judgments—the jagged edges that keep us from accepting Jesus’s words, “Blessed are you when men hate you.”
"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.” (John 7:7)
This ironic dance between hate and love is, in Jesus’s mind, an illusion. Jesus said it Himself - the world CANNOT hate you. Get this! On Heaven’s side, anytime a “hater” inflicts hate, they are, in God’s reality, hating His Son. Since authentic believers ARE the Bride of Christ, as in any marriage, when the wife is offended, the offense is to be carried by the Husband. I can assure you that Jesus will defend you! He writes every offense in the Book of Life. On His day of Judgment, He will punish all those who offended you AS His Bride. In this manner, hate becomes a blessing - that is, IF you do not retaliate by stepping down to the hater’s level of depravity.
So yes, hate can be a blessing—a fierce teacher, a catalyst for understanding the profound truths associated with being the Bride of Christ. Women and men today have lost the organic symphony of Biblical marriage and the responsibilities that come with each. Women defend themselves, and men cowardly run from defending their wives.
Hatred, like a relentless storm, threatens to engulf our global culture. It seeps into the crevices of our lives, corroding empathy and compassion. This culture of animosity, once an aberration, now festers as the new normal. But we indwelt believers must discover the beauty of considering it a blessing.
Recently, I participated in an online survey. The objective was to establish the measurement of online hatred through publications, social posting, media, and email deliveries. The results were mind-bending: Over 90% of the U.S. population was represented in online hate crime reports from 2018 to 2022. In 2024, those percentages jumped up to 94.8%. It was noted that during an election year, researchers expect a major spike, suggesting an increase to 98%.
Folks, that is a lot of hatred!
Furthermore, Christians and Jews can expect 61% more hatred than the general masses. All online populous can expect increased public support if they support the plurality of global religions that are equal in spiritual value. Since religions like Judaism and Christianity believe in a single God, online hatred is expected to rise for those online practitioners.
Hate, from a Biblical perspective, is a powerful and destructive force. Let’s explore the “why” it is considered wrong:
God Is Love: The Bible unequivocally states that God is love. His very nature embodies love, compassion, and grace. Love is the essence of His character, and it extends throughout eternity. Hate, therefore, stands in direct opposition to this divine love, while it offends Jesus Christ personally.
Toxic “Christians:” Hate is like a virus that infects the soul. At times, being around people of hate fuels wicked thoughts and actions of the once innocent, resulting in a toxic relationship. Oftentimes, it drives both parties to harm one another with words and, at times, physical violence. Whether it’s hatred toward others, other opinionates, or even oneself, it damages everything it touches, reinforcing an isolation that is demanded by their conscience.. Ultimately, hate blinds them from accepting or releasing the love and Life of Christ.
Conflict and Division: Where there is hate, there is potential for violence. Hate leads to division, malice, and anger. It tears apart relationships and communities. It will ultimately destroy the world. The Bible’s prophecies warn us of such warnings against harboring hatred in our hearts. A type of hatred that rarely comes with an admission.
Murder in the Heart: Jesus Himself equated hatred with murder. When we hate our brother or sister, we are, in essence, committing spiritual murder. The apostle John wrote, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer.”
Lying Lips: Concealing hatred leads to lying lips. Few, and I mean few, take ownership of their hatred. You can front them with Truth repetitively, and their hostility grows all the more. For some demonic reason, they harbor hate as if it is some kind of twisted friend. Many times, they deceive themselves unto their graves. In fact, true people of hate can only be reached by a miracle of God.
In summary, people of hate are not only selfish; they are typically confessing guilt to not being authentically saved, being deceived by their emotions that set them against our Creator and fellow members of the Truth. Truth sayers become their enemy, and liars become their friends. To know the love of God is to be touched by Truth as a Person.
I am compelled to befriend haters! While I know that the odds of reaching the hearts of such people is next to impossible, I lean on God’s miraculous Love, to inspire them to overcome their fleshly drive to hate and become indwelt by the author and perfecter of Truth, Jesus Christ. Let us actively love those of hate and release our Lord’s goodness while rejecting their hatred. For this we know - Satan is out to devour their souls before they discover the power of God is Love.
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